Tuesday's Teaser

First, an update on last Tuesday's teaser...Am now reading the book I was plugging last week (pardon the pun) - Corked: A Memoir, by Kathyrn Borel. For all of my wine-drinking friends out there who have one or more dysfunctional relationships...well, guess that means EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU...you need to read this book. I am halfway through, and loving every page. I get really distraught when I like a book so much, knowing full well that it's not Homer's Odyssey and therefore cannot continue on indefinitely. Anyway, Ms. Borel has so many qualities, thoughts, and fears that define me...it's a bit eerie.

Example. The author is on a wine-tasting trip-of-a-lifetime with her overbearing, never-satisfied father, who has spent his life in the hotel industry and is therefore lined up at any chance to complain about the service. They are checking out of the first hotel on their journey through French wine-country, and he is, not surprisingly, standing at the checkout desk, screaming his head off.

Kathryn, meanwhile, thinking that it's just not worth the expended energy, has this to say..."It's no help that I, on the other hand, live in fear that my mistreatment of a waiter, or a salesclerk, or a taxi driver, will automatically result in that person being declared the Master of the Known Universe by some cruel (but fair) cabal and I will spend the rest of my days being fed a diet of garbage slurry and mashed-up Madagascar cockroaches, naked, while being cattle-prodded by zombie-ghosts with melting faces in bloody army attire". Wow!! That is me. I would sooner die than return a meal, even if it wasn't close to what I ordered, or criticize a taxi driver, etc.. Not because I don't like confrontation, but because I seriously believe that karmically it will come back to bite me in the ass. Strange, no?

Woooohooooo!!!
Moving on...today's first teaser is really a teaser, unless you happen to be in the vicinity of Orlando and can get to the House of Blues next Saturday at 8:00pm. If that's the case, call me. I am suffering a bit from concert withdrawel at the moment, and was searching LiveNation.com this morning to figure out what's coming down the pike, when what to my wondering eyes should appear? Live at the House of Blues - one of the top three on my list of musical goddesses, EVER... the Indigo Girls.

Even cooler, Brandi Carlile is performing with them. Here is one of her best diddys. It is my idea of a sad, rainy day song, but it's beautiful, and I love it.


I've seen the Indigo Girls live six or seven times, and never, ever been disappointed. I have a friend coming from Budapest next week, so I just need to make sure he'll be comfortable in a room with a million lesbians before I order the tix :) Any other takers??

PS-Currently one of my favorite Girls' songs (featuring another top-rockin' goddess, Pink)



Les Macarons - Pour Les Americains, C'est Macaroons


This just in...macaroons are taking over the world. Okay, maybe not the world, but they are definitely all the rage, the hot new trend in sweet treats, and are apparently pushing the gourmet cupcake right out the door. Sorry, I realize Valentine's Day is barely behind us, but couldn't help going here with the next tempting teaser. Meanwhile, we sit, trying to polish off the last evil truffle, or morsel of Godiva (in my case, it's chocolate-covered espresso beans - curse you evil beans!).

Anyway, these fantastic French 'cookies' are popping up everywhere...they were featured in Food&Wine Magazine (Dec.'09) and are Blair's new addiction on Gossip Girl. I first came upon the macaroon when my BFF introduced me to them in Paris a couple years ago. Had no idea what she was on about, nor did I get why we had to traipse through the city, on a quest to take part in the whole macaroon experience. Just couldn't imagine what was so great about a couple o' blobs of meringue sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream, or jam.

Not knowing what I was in for, I followed her to Ladurée (http://www.laduree.fr/).

Holy orgasm on a plate/in a box, Batman! Unbelievable. And there are like 500 different flavors.

Warning: do NOT click on this link if you have a sweet tooth - you will be making a beeline for the closest batch of sugar: http://www.laduree.fr/public_fr/produits/macarons_accueil.htm. OMG!!!

And the bakery/tearoom is something out of a movie...




In the event that you have ANY opportunity to have a macaroon (I'm talking real-deal, not found on the shelf of your local grocer), JUST DO IT!!!

If you can't find them locally and are looking for a special present for that special someone, or just want to try the real thing, I found a company in New Orleans that has flat-rate shipping and fairly reasonable prices, by French standards :) http://www.shopsucre.com/macaroons.html

PS. My birthday is June 7th. Mailing address is 19702 Prince Benjamin Drive, Lutz, Florida, 33549. xo.